Vintage Masters (vma)
#248 • rare • English • Foil
#248 • rare • English • Foil
Dack's Duplicate 

2
Creature — Shapeshifter
You may have this creature enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield, except it has haste and dethrone. (Whenever it attacks the player with the most life or tied for most life, put a +1/+1 counter on it.)
Illustrated by Karl Kopinski
Links
Legalities
Not Legal
Not Legal
Not Legal
Not Legal
Legal
LegacyNot Legal
Legal
vintageLegal
CommanderNot Legal
Not Legal
Rulings
Dethrone doesn't trigger if the creature attacks a planeswalker, even if its controller has the most life. The same is true if the creature attacks a battle, even if its protector has the most life.
2023-07-28 • wotc
The ability of Dack's Duplicate doesn't target the creature.
2014-05-29 • wotc
Dack's Duplicate copies exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing more (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below), except it will have haste and dethrone. It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, and so on.
2014-05-29 • wotc
If the copied creature has {X} in its mana cost (such as Grenzo, Dungeon Warden), X is considered to be 0.
2014-05-29 • wotc
If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is another Dack's Duplicate), then Dack's Duplicate enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen creature is copying. It will have haste and dethrone.
2014-05-29 • wotc
If the chosen creature is a token, Dack's Duplicate copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield. Dack's Duplicate is not a token, even when copying one.
2014-05-29 • wotc
Haste and dethrone are part of the copiable values of Dack's Duplicate. If another creature enters the battlefield as or becomes a copy of Dack's Duplicate, it will copy whatever Dack's Duplicate is copying and have haste and dethrone.
2014-05-29 • wotc
If Dack's Duplicate somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another creature, Dack's Duplicate can't become a copy of that creature. You may choose only a creature that's already on the battlefield.
2014-05-29 • wotc
You can choose to not copy anything. In that case, Dack's Duplicate enters the battlefield as a 0/0 Shapeshifter creature, and will probably die almost immediately, when state-based actions are next performed.
2014-05-29 • wotc
Once dethrone triggers, it doesn't matter what happens to the players' life totals before the ability resolves. You'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature even if the defending player doesn't have the most life as the ability resolves.
2014-05-29 • wotc
The +1/+1 counter is put on the creature before blockers are declared.
2014-05-29 • wotc
In a Two-Headed Giant game, dethrone will trigger if the creature attacks either player on the team with the most life or tied for the most life.
2014-05-29 • wotc
Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Dack's Duplicate enters the battlefield. Any "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[this creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the chosen creature will also work.
2014-05-29 • wotc